Unless I'm missing something, in the Satipatthana Sutta, despite it containing a good many words, there appears to be no mention of the "three characteristics" (i.e. anicca, anatta, dukkha) of objects.

Is this of significance to how we perform mental cultivation, or is it entirely irrelevant?

IMHO, By fulfilling the actual practice, one will see these characteristics for oneself. Focus on the causes and results (seeing triple characteristics, Awakening) will follow.

It could be that merely repeating and studying (anicca, dukkha, anatta) is very limited. Much better to have direct and personal vision of it. If these are present in every mental state, then it should be seen by us when sati is developed well enough.

When someone tells "anicca", it could merely be the sound. But if one discovers it for oneself through mindfulness, then the personal knowledge is not a mere sound.

"Life is a struggle. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will humble you, it will attempt to break you down. And just when you think things are starting to look up, life will smack you back down with ruthless indifference..."

In a section entitle "Impermanence" Ven Analayo, in his book on satipatthana, wrote:

The 'refrain' instructs the meditator to contemplate "the nature of arising", and "the nature of passing away, and "the nature of both arising and passing away." . . . this instruction represents) a temporal progression which leads from the observing the arising aspect of phenomenon to focusing on their disappearance, and culminating in a comprehensive vision of impermanence as such. . . . The other two characteristics of conditioned existence -- dukkha (unsatisfactoriness) and anatta (absence of self) -- become evident as a consequence of a direct experience and thereby realistic appreciation of the truth of impermanence. -- Satipatthana: the direct path to realization, p 103-4.

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723

>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<<-- Proverbs 26:12

"In this way he remains focused internally on the body in & of itself, or externally on the body in & of itself, or both internally & externally on the body in & of itself. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the body, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to the body, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to the body.

"Now what is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful; separation from the loved is stressful; not getting what one wants is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.

". . . the perception of impermanence should be cultivated for the removal of the conceit 'I am.' For when one perceives impermanence, Meghiya, the perception of not-self is established. When one perceives not-self one reaches the removal of the conceit 'I am,' which is called Nibbana here and now." U iv 1.

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723

>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<<-- Proverbs 26:12

tiltbillings wrote:In a section entitle "Impermanence" Ven Analayo, in his book on satipatthana, wrote:

The 'refrain' instructs the meditator to contemplate "the nature of arising", and "the nature of passing away, and "the nature of both arising and passing away." . . . this instruction represents) a temporal progression which leads from the observing the arising aspect of phenomenon to focusing on their disappearance, and culminating in a comprehensive vision of impermanence as such. . . . The other two characteristics of conditioned existence -- dukkha (unsatisfactoriness) and anatta (absence of self) -- become evident as a consequence of a direct experience and thereby realistic appreciation of the truth of impermanence. -- Satipatthana: the direct path to realization, p 103-4.

Similarly Ajahn Chah in his many teachings always emphasised that seeing impermanence was the doorway into seeing the other two characteristics.

To study is to know the texts,To practice is to know your defilements,To attain the goal is to know and let go.

". . . the perception of impermanence should be cultivated for the removal of the conceit 'I am.' For when one perceives impermanence, Meghiya, the perception of not-self is established. When one perceives not-self one reaches the removal of the conceit 'I am,' which is called Nibbana here and now." U iv 1.

Well there you have it. Good stuff tilt thanks.

To study is to know the texts,To practice is to know your defilements,To attain the goal is to know and let go.

retrofuturist wrote:Unless I'm missing something, in the Satipatthana Sutta, despite it containing a good many words, there appears to be no mention of the "three characteristics" (i.e. anicca, anatta, dukkha) of objects.

Is this of significance to how we perform mental cultivation, or is it entirely irrelevant?

Buddha describes in the sutta the same practice, but in other words.

As explained in the Commentary:

Samudayadhammanupassi = "Contemplating origination-things." In this contemplation of feeling, the bhikkhu dwells seeing the origination and the dissolution of the aggregate of feeling or seeing the origination of feeling at one time and the dissolution of feeling at another time, by way of ignorance, craving and so forth, in the five ways mentioned in the Section on the Modes of Deportment.

Samudaya-dhammanupassi = "Contemplating origination-things." Also dissolution-things are included here. Origination and dissolution should be dwelt upon by way of the fivefold method beginning with the words: "He, thinking 'the origination of materiality comes to be through the origination of ignorance,' in the sense of the origin of conditions, sees the arising of the aggregate of materiality."

In the same way he sees the arising of the aggregate of materiality through the origination of craving, karma and food, in the sense of the origin of conditions, and also while seeing the sign of birth [nibbatti lakkhana passanto pi]. He sees the passing away of the aggregate while thinking that the dissolution of materiality comes to be through the dissolution of ignorance, in the sense of the dissolution of conditions, and through the dissolution of craving, karma and food, in the same way, and while seeing the sign of vicissitude [viparinamalakkhana].

Unless I'm missing something, in the Satipatthana Sutta, despite it containing a good many words, there appears to be no mention of the "three characteristics" (i.e. anicca, anatta, dukkha) of objects.

Is this of significance to how we perform mental cultivation, or is it entirely irrelevant?

Metta,Retro.

Try looking at the refrain...it is not direct i.e. the words are not there but it they are certainly implied quite strongly in my opinion wtiw.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion … ...He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.John Stuart Mill